Blogs

Game-Planning for the Fleet Technology Expo

Earlier this year, I posted a blog about the importance of forward-thinking as it relates to fleet planning and maintaining your relevance as a fleet professional. And, I didn't mean just thinking about 2016, for which your budget is now already spent. It's easy to get caught up in Labor Day weekend's remaining summer BBQs and planning out your pre-season tailgating, but your fleet doesn't care who is playing who. And before you know it, another year has gone by.

Every day, the headlines are full of the latest news of success, pitfalls and legalities related to autonomous vehicle and connectivity innovations, fuel management technology announcements and the like. Unless you are packing stacks of recent issues of AF into your cooler, it can be daunting to fully consume the mass of information out there to determine where your fleet needs to be in the next three to five years.

To your supervisors, you want to be known as the fleet manager who always somehow has the inside story on what is coming up next and has a plan in place to be on trend — the go-to, the one who is always in the know. Fortunately, you pretty much already have your own not-so-secret source, or rather, more than 30 of them on the inside who can break it all down for you.

Our crackerjack team of editors at Automotive Fleet and Heavy Duty Trucking are immersed in the fleet world. Every single day they are on the phones talking to OEMs, researchers, politicians, and industry experts taking the pulse of what's happening tomorrow in terms of fleet technologies.

We've ambushed enlisted two of them — namely managing editors Stephane Babcock of Heavy Duty Trucking and Chris Wolski of Automotive Fleet — to reach out to the leaders in the field and curate three days' worth of education on tactics for optimizing fleet software and data and alternative-fuel adoption, information on the latest technologies you'll see in your fleet in the not-so-distant future, strategies for reducing fuel use and maintenance costs, and more.

I'm talking about Fleet Technology Expo, which is just around the corner — coming up from Oct. 17 to 19 in Schaumburg, Ill. We'll also have the biggest advanced technology and alt-fuel ride and drive, as well as an exhibit hall showcasing all that will be discussed in the sessions and more.

You aren't complacent that your team will be the one to take the championship, so why are you when it comes to your career? You need to stay relevant so the rookies don't lap you. The best way to do that would be to register for FTX and come to Schaumburg. You'll definitely go back to your office with the big picture on how your fleet will look in the year 2026.

Nobody Asked Me, But...

By the end of next year, there are supposed to be over 50 types of plug-in electric vehicles for sale in the U.S. At some point in the recent past, it appears that everyone decided the time is now for electric vehicles.

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the latest fleet technology, the fire hose of data your vehicles are generating, or by senior management questions about the latest headlines regarding autonomous, electric, or fuel cell vehicles, rest assured you aren’t alone.

While all-electric trucks have their clear benefits, they still have some hurdles. Conventional trucks will continue to play a major role in fleet, regardless of the latest craze, and shouldn’t be ignored.

It doesn't matter if you are running a pharma fleet, a public sector fleet, a Class 8 tractor fleet, or a fleet of golf carts. Our analytics show that everyone is driven to find the latest information on how to keep their drivers, customers, and company safe.

Driving is a dangerous activity, and fleet managers have to work hard to protect their drivers' safety. Though the number of fatal accidents has decreased meaningfully from 2005, when features like backup cameras were released, death rates have been climbing again recently with the increase of distracted driving.

If you don’t stay on top of the latest developments in mobility, battery technology, autonomous vehicles, and telematics, you are subjecting yourself to the whims of senior management who may be making decisions based on the latest trendy news.